The questions that cause the most noise are never the deep ones. I've watched friends argue for ten minutes over whether sauce goes on the food or next to it. So when we built the would-you-rather app Infinite Balance, we gave these petty debates their own theme: "Small but Serious Choices." Here are all eight.
A few of them come from Korea, where the app started. I'll explain those as we go.
1. Sweet and sour pork: dip or pour?
In Korea this is the classic food fight. Tangsuyuk is crispy fried pork with a sweet and sour sauce, and people split hard on whether you dip each piece or pour the sauce over everything.
I'm a dipper. If I ordered something crispy, I want it to stay crispy.
But my friends who pour swear it tastes better once the sauce soaks in, and they really mean it. I still don't get it. If you're a pourer, what is it you love about it?
2. Cold noodles: spicy or in broth?
Naengmyeon is a Korean summer staple: chewy buckwheat noodles served either with a spicy red sauce or in an icy, tangy broth.
Broth for me. A splash of vinegar, a little mustard, and I drink the whole bowl.
3. Peaches: soft or crunchy?
I'm team crunchy. When I was a kid, I was eating a soft peach and the juice ran all the way down to my elbow and ruined my shirt. My mom chased me around with a fistful of napkins. Ever since then I've gone for the firm ones. I still squeeze every peach at the store before I buy it.
4. Boiled eggs: soft or hard?
Soft-boiled, with the yolk just starting to run. That's the best egg there is.
My roommate is a hard-boiled person. Every time I make her a soft one, she asks, "Are you sure this is cooked?" These days I just leave two of them in the pot a few extra minutes for her.
5. Late-night order: pizza or fried chicken?
It's 11 p.m. and you can order one thing. I'm getting fried chicken. With pizza, picking toppings takes longer than the delivery. What do you order at 11 p.m.?
6. One season forever: summer or winter?
At first I said summer. Long days, light clothes, staying out late.
Then last August my AC broke and I spent a week in that apartment. That changed my mind. When it's cold you can add layers. When it's hot, there's only so much you can take off. I'm on the winter side now.
7. Korean-Chinese takeout: black bean noodles or spicy seafood noodles?
Jjajangmyeon is noodles in a thick black bean sauce. Jjamppong is a fiery red seafood soup. Every Korean has stood at the counter stuck on this one.
My answer changes every time. Today it's jjamppong, and tomorrow I'll probably say jjajangmyeon. The real problem comes after I order. If I get jjamppong, the black bean noodles across the table look amazing. If I get jjajangmyeon, I want the soup. So when I go with friends, I'm the one who says, "Let's get one of each and share."
8. Weekend trip: mountains or beach?
Last one. I'm a beach person. Halfway up a mountain, I can never tell if I came to relax or to work out.
Still, when I see photos of my hiking friends at the top, they look so happy. The climb must have been rough, but it seems like none of that matters once they're up there. Part of me wants to tag along once just to see it.
How many did you pick the same as me? Infinite Balance gets a new theme like this every week. If you want to play along with your friends, grab it here.